Grants for Individuals

Eligibility

Grants are available to scholars and other professionally qualified individuals of recognized merit for work toward a doctoral dissertation, for postdoctoral work, or for independent scholarship. Eligibility is limited to United States citizens and permanent legal residents. Grants are awarded on an objective and non-discriminatory basis and without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age or ethnicity.

Awards

Awards range from $10,000 to $60,000 per year, and may be used for research, including field studies, and related expenses, including travel (where appropriate) and living costs over the period covered by the Landes Grant. Senior scholars may request stipends based on their previous year’s salary and professional standing. Applications for multiyear grants will be considered.

Publication subventions are available for work resulting from a Landes Grant. The manuscript must be accepted for publication in order to qualify for consideration. Funds may also be available for the publication or other dissemination of non-print materials, including film, video, and other forms of media generated by research underwritten by a Landes Grant.

Application Procedures

Applicants must submit hard copies of the following documents in English, or accompanied by an English translation:

Cover Page – containing the applicant’s name, contact information, academic and/or professional affiliation(s), country or countries of citizenship and legal residency, title and location(s) of the proposed research or study, project dates, requested grant amount, a project abstract limited to three hundred words, and the names of and contact information for three professional references.

Project Proposal – consisting of the following:

Project Narrative – a statement outlining the objectives and methods of the proposed research or study, including a description of how the project relates to subjects that were of interest to Dr. Landes during her professional and academic career. The project narrative is limited to 2,500 words, excluding the bibliography, which is limited to two pages.

Project Expenses – a statement of anticipated costs for the project, including an itemized budget for research expenses, if any. For stipend requests, a statement from the applicant's employer is required certifying that his/her salary or stipend and associated expenses will not be paid by the institution during the tenure of the grant. The applicant must also list the source of other funds dedicated to the project, if any, and include a list of any other pending applications for support.

Credentials – a curriculum vitae (CV) and, if the applicant is a doctoral candidate, an up-to-date official graduate school transcript.

References – three letters of professional reference from individuals able to objectively evaluate the applicant as well as the proposed research or study. Each letter should be forwarded through the applicant in a sealed envelope with the referee’s signature across the sealed flap, and should otherwise conform to the Guidelines for Referees. Applicants should refer to the Individual Grant Application Procedures and Checklist for details.

Writing Sample – an essay, limited to twenty pages (6,000 words), or article on a subject related to the proposed research or study.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria: the merit and significance of the applicant’s proposal; the applicant’s qualifications; the relevance of the project to subjects that were of interest to Dr. Landes during her career; and the degree to which grant funds are likely to contribute to the success of the proposed project.

Special consideration will be given to applications for work with the papers and unpublished manuscripts of Ruth Schlossberg Landes at the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, or among related materials in other public and private collections; and for projects in and among the geographical and cultural communities studied by Dr. Landes.

Schedule

There is no application deadline. No grants need be awarded if the applicant pool is not of sufficient quality.

All applicants will be notified within three months from the date of receipt of the completed application. Applications should be mailed to: